May 17, 2007
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Mike Tarsi and David Erickson combined on the shutout as Connecticut stayed alive in the battle for the final BIG EAST baseball tournament spots, with Thursday night’s 5-0 win over Notre Dame. The Irish and Huskies will return to Eck Stadium on Friday night, as two of five teams that remain in top contention for the final three playoff berths.
Notre Dame (27-25, 10-14 BIG EAST) had plenty of chances to stay in the game, with 14 total baseunners that included six in scoring position and two who reached third base. But the Irish continued to struggle with their timely offense, batting just 2-for-12 with runners on base, 0-for-5 with men in scoring position and 1-for-8 with 2-outs.
Connecticut (29-24, 9-13) beat the Irish for the first time since the 2002 season, ending a 12-game unbeaten streak versus Notre Dame (0-11-1). The Huskies slipped past Cincinnati (9-15) into eighth place, just percentage points behind Notre Dame. Cincinnati lost a 12-inning game to Louisville (6-4) and now is tied with West Virginia for ninth place, following WVU’s 8-1 win over Georgetown.
The Irish now can finish no lower than 10th, due to Seton Hall’s 11-inning, 5-4 loss to Pittsburgh (SHU fell to 7-15). In order to qualify for the BIG EAST Tournament, Notre Dame still must clinch a higher finish versus two of three teams (UConn, Cincinnati and WVU). Winning at least one of the two remaining games vs. UConn likely would clinch a spot for the Irish – but Notre Dame also could clinch a higher finish than WVU if the Mountaineers suffer one more loss and the Bearcats lose both of their remaining games (regardless of ND’s finish).
Notre Dame also still could move up in the standings, due to loses on Thursday by 5th-place South Florida (12-8 vs. St. John’s) and 6th-place Villanova (8-2 vs. Rutgers). The Bulls (12-13) would have to lose their final two games for the Irish to have any chance of catching them in the standings while VU (11-14) would need to lose at least once more to potentially slip below Notre Dame.
The 5th inning has provided key turning points in many Notre Dame losses this season and that proved to be the case again on Thursday, as the visitors scored twice en route to the win. The Irish now have been outscored 39-13 in the key 5th inning this season, despite holding a 279-215 scoring edge in all other innings.
The 6-foot-8 Tarsi (5-4) logged 6.2 scoreless innings, with the junior lefthander striking out six while allowing seven hits and three walks. Sophomore RHP Erickson then closed out the game for his second save of the season, facing just seven batters with three Ks and a double play that erased a hit in the 9th.
Notre Dame loaded the bases in the 7th, forcing Tarsi from the game after his pitch count had reached 119. Tarsi lost Ross Brezovsky on a four-pitch walk and then plunked Brett Lilley with the next before the 2-out sequence continued on Danny Dressman’s four-pitch walk. Erickson then entered the game to face the righthanded-hitting A.J. Pollock, who worked to a full count before seeing a pitch low in the zone called strike three to leave the three runners stranded.
Junior righthander Joey Williamson (4-3) – who became the seventh different Notre Dame pitcher to start a BIG EAST game this season – logged four shutout innings before ultimately being charged with four runs (three earned) on seven hits and one walk, over 5.0-plus innings (5 Ks). Freshman RHP Eric Maust then closed the game by allowing just one run over the final 4.0 innings (4 H, 3 Ks).
UConn’s scoring sequence in the 5th included singles by Josh Farkes (stolen base) and Harold Brantley (RBI), plus Pete Fatse’s sacrifice bunt, a passed ball and Dale Brannon’s RBI hit to right field (plating Brantley as an unearned run).
The Huskies scored twice more in their next trip to the plate, with the big hit coming on Pat Mahoney’s two-run triple into the right-center gap. Mahoney later doubled in the 8th and scored on a Gordon Stevens single for the final margin.
NOTES – Lilley now stands alone in 4th place on the NCAA career HBP list (77, including 26 in 2007) … Lilley has started all 172 games of his ND career and now has posted 42 error-free games this season (he has just 3 Es in the past 31 games) … Pollock made his second start of the season but went hitless for just the second time in the past 12 games, falling behind Lilley atop the team batting charts (.372-.368) … Lilley’s season on-base pct. remained at .515 (1-for-3, HBP) … Friday’s probable starters included ND sophomore RHP David Phelps and UConn freshman RHP Dusty Odenbach … game-2 and game-3 of the series will be telecast on CSTV.
Connecticut 0-0-0 0-2-2 0-1-0 – 5 11 0
Notre Dame 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 – 0 8 0
Mike Tarsi (W, 5-4), David Erickson (7; SV, 2) and Larry Day.
Joey Williamson (L, 4-3), Eric Maust (6) and Matt Weglarz.
Triple: Pat Mahoney (UConn).
Doubles: Day (UConn), Pat Mahoney (UConn).